Related papers: Surface astrochemistry: a computational chemistry …
Understanding grain-surface processes is crucial to interpreting the chemistry of the ISM. However, accurate surface chemistry models are computationally expensive and are difficult to integrate with gas-phase simulations. A new…
We present a model for the formation of large organic molecules in dark clouds. The molecules are produced in the high density gas-phase that exists immediately after ice mantles are explosively sublimated. The explosions are initiated by…
Glycoaldehyde, ethylene glycol, and methyl formate are complex organic molecules that have been observed in dark molecular clouds. Because there is no efficient gas-phase route to produce these species, it is expected that a low-temperature…
Recent observations have revealed significant variations in the abundances of gas- and ice-phase molecules in galaxies with different luminosities and types. In order to discuss the physical origins of these variations, we incorporate gas-…
A prevailing theory for the interstellar production of complex organic molecules (COMs) involves formation on warm dust-grain surfaces, via the diffusion and reaction of radicals produced through grain-surface photodissociation of stable…
Abridged: We detail and benchmark two sophisticated chemical models developed by the Heidelberg and Bordeaux astrochemistry groups. The main goal of this study is to elaborate on a few well-described tests for state-of-the-art astrochemical…
The interstellar medium (ISM) is a very complex medium which contains the matter needed to form stars and planets. The ISM is in permanent interaction with radiation, turbulence, magnetic and gravitational fields, and accelerated particles.…
Grain-surface chemistry plays a crucial role in the formation of molecules of astrobiological interest, including H$_{2}$S and complex organic molecules (COMs). They are commonly observed in the gas phase toward star-forming regions, but…
We have developed an algorithm coupling mesoscopic simulations on different levels in a hierarchy of Cartesian meshes. Based on the multiscale nature of the chemical reactions, some molecules in the system will live on a fine-grained mesh,…
The elemental depletion of interstellar sulfur from the gas phase has been a recurring challenge for astrochemical models. Observations show that sulfur remains relatively non-depleted with respect to its cosmic value throughout the diffuse…
Unlike gas-phase reactions, chemical reactions taking place on interstellar dust grain surfaces cannot always be modeled by rate equations. Due to the small grain sizes and low flux,these reactions may exhibit large fluctuations and thus…
The question, what is the role of freeze-out of chemical species in determining the molecular abundances in the interstellar gas is a matter of debate. We investigate a theoretical case of a dense interstellar molecular cloud core by…
In spite of accounting for only a small fraction of the mass of the Interstellar Medium (ISM), dust plays a primary role in many physical and chemical processes in the Universe. It is the main driver of extinction of radiation in the…
The surface properties of solid-state materials often dictate their functionality, especially for applications where nanoscale effects become important. The relevant surface(s) and their properties are determined, in large part, by the…
This review covers four current questions in the behavior of the atomic and molecular interstellar medium. These include whether the atomic gas originates primarily in cold streams or hot flows onto galaxies; what the filling factor of cold…
We study the formation of water and methanol in the dense cloud conditions to find the dependence of its production rate on the binding energies, reaction mechanisms, temperatures, and grain site number. We wish to find the effective grain…
Complex Organic Molecules (COMs) have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). However, it is not clear whether their synthesis occurs on the icy surfaces of interstellar grains or via a series of gas-phase reactions. As a test case…
The chemical composition of a protoplanetary disk is determined not only by in situ chemical processes during the disk phase, but also by the history of the gas and dust before it accreted from the natal envelope. In order to understand the…
This study focuses on the formation of two molecules of astrobiological importance - glycolaldehyde (HC(O)CH2OH) and ethylene glycol (H2C(OH)CH2OH) - by surface hydrogenation of CO molecules. Our experiments aim at simulating the CO…
Contrary to popular belief, the interstellar medium (ISM) is not empty; it is filled with atoms, dust particles, and molecules. Some of these molecules may have been the very building blocks of life that, delivered to Earth via comets and…